Welch Demands Explanation from Secretary Rubio

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, today sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding an urgent response to the baseless mass-firings of over 5,500 federal employees at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In the letter, Senator Welch demanded answers from the State Department on Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE’s, actions that directly violate funds appropriated by Congress through the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act. 

Senator Welch released the following statement:   

“I’m deeply distressed by the Trump Administration and Secretary Rubio’s reckless and illegal actions terminating thousands of experienced, dedicated USAID employees without cause or credible justification. These public servants, many of whom have spent decades serving their country and protecting U.S. interests around the world, were given less than 15 minutes to clear out their desks. It’s immoral and illegal. 

“I’m also appalled by how Secretary Rubio and Elon Musk’s DOGE have unlawfully cut off funding appropriated by Congress for vital international assistance programs that protect U.S. security interests around the world. In recent weeks, Secretary Rubio has terminated billions of dollars in U.S. foreign assistance programs on which hundreds of millions of people depend for their health, safety, and well-being, in direct contravention of the law. These funds were provided on a bipartisan basis in prior appropriations acts which included many pages of provisions requiring the Administration to obligate the funds for explicit purposes. While DOGE’s mission might be to ‘save money,’ it cannot do so in ways that plainly violate federal law and the Constitution. And it should not do so if the result would undermine U.S. national interests and damage our international credibility. 

“As the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, I’ll state what every American knows and DOGE needs to learn: the Constitution does not allow the President to ignore the law. Trump’s blatant disregard for the Constitution and the destruction of hard-earned goodwill around the world is beyond distressing and requires immediate action. Congress and the American people deserve answers from Secretary Rubio regarding how he intends to ensure that the State Department complies with the law.” 

Under the Trump Administration, hundreds of millions of dollars in State Department programs have been illegally terminated under categories and programs explicitly required by the FY24 Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act. By law, funds appropriated by Congress are to be spent as specified for each of the countries, programs, projects, and activities. 

By way of example, the FY24 Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act provides no less than: 

• $960,000,000 for food security and agricultural development programs to carry out the purposes of the Global Food Security Act of 2016, including for the Feed the Future Innovation Labs. 
• $451,000,000 for water supply and sanitation projects. 
• $365,750,000 for biodiversity conservation programs. 
• $300,000,000 to carry out the purposes of the Countering Russian Influence Fund, as authorized by the Countering Russian Influence in Europe and Eurasia Act of 2017. 
• $250,000,000 to implement a multi-year strategy to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, including efforts to combat a variety of forms of violence against women and girls. 
• $225,500,000 for programs in sub-Saharan Africa. 
• $117,040,000 to the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor for programs that support good governance, credible and competitive elections, freedom of expression, association, assembly, and religion, human rights, labor rights, independent media, and the rule of law. 
• $111,000,000 for activities to combat trafficking in persons internationally, including for the Program to End Modern Slavery. 

Read the full letter and watch a video of Senator Welch’s remarks on DOGE’s Unlawful USAID Firings and Termination of Billions of Dollars of in Aid.

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